From ashes, family finds generosity of neighbors

The Davis family has learned there is a support system in the Estates, including the schools, youths' sports teams and their church

Quinn Davis, 8, sifts through a burned out room at her family's home Saturday afternoon in Golden Gate Estates. The family lost their home and most of their possessions when a fire broke out in January.

Daily News

The Davis family gathers among the remains of their fire-damaged home in Golden Gate Estates. In the front row, left to right, are: Rhys, 14, Aidan, 7, Blair, 5, Quinn, 8, and Jewel, 15. Ron and his wife, Mercedes, are in the second row, and their oldest, R.Y., 16, is in the back.

Daily News

Ron and Mercedes Davis' lives have backtracked to when they got married.

Nineteen years ago, they saved to buy a house.

Today, with six children ages 5 to 16, they are trying to save again after a fire destroyed their home.

The home at 25th Avenue and 21st Avenue Southwest in Golden Gate Estates remains caked with ashes. While most of the house has no roof, the basic structure still stands with stained, charcoal-black walls.

Twelve years of memories were destroyed in about 45 minutes by a house fire Jan. 10.

Yet, all the lost material items, for which the family is still paying off credit cards bills, aren't important anymore.

On Saturday, Mercedes, 38, and her family stood in the wreckage of what used to be her house and said what is important is that the entire family is alive.

"It has been a huge lesson for the whole family," said Mercedes Davis, who was wearing donated clothes.

In the past three months, the Davis family has learned there is a support system in the community, including the children's schools, sports teams and church.

Mercedes said they are grateful for the unexpected outpouring of assistance. She recalled how strangers would walk up to them and give them donations.

Since the fire, Mercedes has kept a notebook with a list of hundreds of people's names who have assisted the family in words and donations.

The notebook was falling apart, so she got two more notebooks.

"Whether it was a person saying, ‘I'm sorry,' or a donation or a call, I want them to know that it made a difference," she said.

She hopes to be able to return the gesture someday. Eventually, she plans to send thank you cards.

Victor Hill, a spokesman with the Golden Gate Fire District, said the Davis fire was reported about 2:54 p.m. and that flames were well through the roof when firefighters arrived.

Initially, firefighters thought people might be inside, so the efforts were focused on search and rescue. No one was inside the house.

By then, the fire was well into the attic and throughout the house, so officials pulled personnel out of the house and fought the fire from the outside, said Hill.

Based on the investigation, the fire started in one of the bedrooms. The electrical fire was ruled accidental by investigators, said Hill.

About 95 percent of the home's contents weren't recovered. Several pictures that were stored in a box were salvaged.

The children's grief is buried in school and sports.

Mercedes Davis, a stay-at-home mother, said it has been hard for the children at times, but emotions come out in each child differently.

She noted that each child also has reacted differently to living with hand-me-downs.

The four youngest children attend Naples Christian Academy and the other two attend Gulf Coast High School. Students receive financial aid.

Rhys Davis, 14, said what he misses the most are all the fun memories he had in the house. He, like the rest of the family, is ready to start making new ones.

The Davis family is renting a home temporarily. Their income goes to pay the mortgage on the house on the 2100 block of 39th Street Southwest, pay rent and somehow save for rebuilding the house.

"Before the fire, we were capable of making ends meet. This (the fire) has made a twist," said Ron.

The insurance covered $150,000 for structure.

Ron Davis, an employee at Brixton Development Inc., said he only got structure insurance, without considering the inside items, because he didn't want to be greedy.

They learned a lesson the hard way.

His advice for other homeowners is to get both structure and inside dwelling insurance.

They have looked into selling the 2.85 acres, but decided to rebuild because the taxes on a new home would not be in their price range, said Ron. They're hoping that the mortgage remains the same on the new house.

It will cost about $10,000 to tear down the burned home before the family can rebuild.

They continue to research costs from local builders.

"People keep asking us when we are going to rebuild. They don't even realize how far we are from rebuilding," she said. "We are in the renting process."

Patty Cafone, a family friend, established the Ronald Y. Davis Trust Fund at Fifth Third Bank to help the Davis family rebuild their home.

Cafone said she wanted to do something that would help the family months later, since when tragedies occur many people help, but a month later everyone goes back to their normal lives.

The goal is to raise $20,000.

For more information on how you can help or to donate to the fund, call Cafone at 784-1422.